Last Modified: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 10:52 p.m.

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Mom-and-pop restaurants, motels and shops dotted what then was the primary thoroughfare — U.S. Highway 1.

But in recent decades, the economic pulse has weakened, especially along the nearly 3-mile stretch of road from Dunlawton Avenue south to the Rose Bay Bridge. Almost all growth has moved west, leaving the once-bustling Ridgewood corridor with a 14 percent vacancy rate and huge concerns about the future. It's a common refrain among area cities linked in the past and present to U.S. 1.

The corridor is dominated now by old motels, tattoo parlors, thrift shops, saloons and used car lots. The area is dying, and city leaders know it, hoping somehow, some way, to resuscitate it. But success depends on money, lots of money that the city currently doesn't have.

What Port Orange does have is a new Ridgewood Corridor Plan, a thick, detailed document that's full of ideas and thin on immediate solutions.

"The main objectives of the plan are to make the corridor more attractive, improve its economic position and minimize activities that discourage investment," said Penelope Cruz, Port Orange's principal planner.

Short term, one option is to improve the medians and drainage along the corridor.

Port Orange doesn't need to look far to find an impressive success story. Neighboring South Daytona recently transformed the look of about half of its U.S. 1 corridor, by far that city's busiest commercial roadway. Backed in part by a $4.2 million federal grant, electrical lines were buried and new brick sidewalks, decorative palm trees and street lights were installed.

But for now, Port Orange realizes that only minor tweaks to improve the Ridgewood corridor — through stronger code enforcement and increased police presence — can occur immediately without a major infusion of money.

"We have got to have a funding mechanism so we can move ahead," Mayor Allen Green said. "That corridor has a lot of things we do not want. And the only way to get them out is to buy them out, I guess. Somewhere along the line, we have to change the whole atmosphere."

'A THROWAWAY AREA'

Any major facelift is dependent on an economic recovery, making any revival of the area "challenging." Most buildings were constructed before 1980 and do not conform to current development codes. In addition, the lots are small, parking is inadequate and vehicle traffic has decreased by 50 percent in the past decade.

The Ridgewood Corridor Plan acknowledges "there are few easy and inexpensive solutions" as far as quality redevelopment of the oldest part of Port Orange "without the private market driving it."

Right now, the only national chain businesses are a Dollar General store and a Hardee's restaurant. The major commercial corridors are west along Dunlawton Avenue and Williamson Boulevard, with the Pavilion shopping center Ground Zero.

"There's not a whole lot of market push there (on South Ridgewood) right now. The income levels, the size of the lots, there are a lot of issues," said Wayne Clark, Port Orange's community development director. "It's step by step. If there were one simple answer, it would have been done."

Councilman Bob Ford called the Ridgewood Corridor Plan a first step. He said aggressive zoning is needed to eliminate what he and his colleagues describe as "seedy" motels, tattoo parlors and cut-rate used car lots.

"All the negative zoning in the city is down there. I think it's the only place that has tattoo parlors," he said. "If you go down there and look at the current zoning, you just get a headache. It looks like a throwaway area."

Ford recommended the city eventually buy some of those aging businesses "piece by piece," so more visually appealing upgrades could occur along the highway.

Councilman Don Burnette said he doesn't need a plan to know what's needed right now to turn the area around.

"We have a ton of seedy motels up and down the strip, and until we take care of those seedy motels no one will want to go in there. We have to address it," he said. "I think the No. 1 problem down there that we're going to have in making progress is addressing all those motels that were wonderful destinations 50 years ago, but aren't today."

Recent code enforcement "sweeps" have been made in the area by the fire and police departments.

"We need to continue that and maybe step it up," Burnette said. "We need to target the repeat offenders until they finally fall in line or go away, one way or the other."

'WHAT CAN WE PUT THERE?'

Residents and business owners along the Ridgewood corridor welcome any change, even if initially it's only a plan.

"I am thrilled to see this. We need improvement from the top to the bottom. It is the gateway to the city, and our waterfront area of Port Orange," said Lynne Bramerel, a 30-year resident who lives in a neighborhood between the river and U.S. 1. "To see this falling into disrepair really breaks my heart driving past it every day. ... When I pick people up from out of state, I take Riverside Drive" to avoid the highway.

She added: "It's horrifying in the daylight. We never know who will be walking through our neighborhood. A couple of weeks ago, we had a child molester arrested who came in through the trailer park."

Newton White, another Port Orange resident, recommended a remove-and-build approach for the corridor with a distinct and consistent concept being adopted for what should follow.

"We can't keep refurbishing time after time. It looks horrible," he said. "This is the old part of the city. If we lose the motels and car lots, what do we want then? What do we want to bring here? What can we put there that will bring people to the region?"

Brendan Galbreath, the owner of Aunt Catfish Restaurant, is a 40-year-old Port Orange native who's doing more than talking about future plans for Ridgewood Avenue.

He recently bought a building near the corner of Ridgewood and Dunlawton, which will soon house a pizza restaurant. And Galbreath has other ideas for what he names Catfish Commons, maybe adding an ice cream shop and a kayak rental business.

"We're not distressed here on the waterfront," he said.

But Galbreath is pessimistic about major changes being made along the miles of highway south of his restaurant — where his grandmother in 1954 opened Marko's drive-in restaurant. That once-popular destination is long gone, like most of the other old mom-and-pop businesses on Ridgewood.

"I don't have a magic wand. Maybe office parks, but I don't think they'll get significant retail," he said, given the major commercial development to the west. "I don't want to be totally negative. The connection between U.S. 1 to the river could facilitate development. If there's any hope, I think that's what it is. The riverfront."

The road more traveled

U.S. Route 1 runs 2,369 miles from Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, to Key West. At one time, the highway was also known as the Atlantic Highway.

In 1904, Ridgewood Avenue in Port Orange was constructed of shells and connected to what was then the city of Daytona. In 1915, the local road became part of the Dixie Highway. In 1927, as part of the newly created national route system, the name became U.S. 1.

In 1957, Ridgewood Avenue was widened to its current four lanes. Most of the current commercial development along the Ridgewood corridor — from Dunlawton Avenue south to the Rose Bay Bridge — took place between the 1950s and early 1970s.

<p>PORT ORANGE &mdash; Back before Interstate 95 and shopping malls, Ridgewood Avenue was the main artery that pumped economic life through the heart of Port Orange. </p><p>Mom-and-pop restaurants, motels and shops dotted what then was the primary thoroughfare &mdash; U.S. Highway 1. </p><p>But in recent decades, the economic pulse has weakened, especially along the nearly 3-mile stretch of road from Dunlawton Avenue south to the Rose Bay Bridge. Almost all growth has moved west, leaving the once-bustling Ridgewood corridor with a 14 percent vacancy rate and huge concerns about the future. It's a common refrain among area cities linked in the past and present to U.S. 1. </p><p>The corridor is dominated now by old motels, tattoo parlors, thrift shops, saloons and used car lots. The area is dying, and city leaders know it, hoping somehow, some way, to resuscitate it. But success depends on money, lots of money that the city currently doesn't have. </p><p>What Port Orange does have is a new Ridgewood Corridor Plan, a thick, detailed document that's full of ideas and thin on immediate solutions. </p><p>"The main objectives of the plan are to make the corridor more attractive, improve its economic position and minimize activities that discourage investment," said Penelope Cruz, Port Orange's principal planner. </p><p>Short term, one option is to improve the medians and drainage along the corridor. </p><p>Port Orange doesn't need to look far to find an impressive success story. Neighboring South Daytona recently transformed the look of about half of its U.S. 1 corridor, by far that city's busiest commercial roadway. Backed in part by a $4.2 million federal grant, electrical lines were buried and new brick sidewalks, decorative palm trees and street lights were installed. </p><p>But for now, Port Orange realizes that only minor tweaks to improve the Ridgewood corridor &mdash; through stronger code enforcement and increased police presence &mdash; can occur immediately without a major infusion of money. </p><p>"We have got to have a funding mechanism so we can move ahead," Mayor Allen Green said. "That corridor has a lot of things we do not want. And the only way to get them out is to buy them out, I guess. Somewhere along the line, we have to change the whole atmosphere." </p><p><b>'A THROWAWAY AREA'</b> </p><p>Any major facelift is dependent on an economic recovery, making any revival of the area "challenging." Most buildings were constructed before 1980 and do not conform to current development codes. In addition, the lots are small, parking is inadequate and vehicle traffic has decreased by 50 percent in the past decade. </p><p>The Ridgewood Corridor Plan acknowledges "there are few easy and inexpensive solutions" as far as quality redevelopment of the oldest part of Port Orange "without the private market driving it." </p><p>Right now, the only national chain businesses are a Dollar General store and a Hardee's restaurant. The major commercial corridors are west along Dunlawton Avenue and Williamson Boulevard, with the Pavilion shopping center Ground Zero. </p><p>"There's not a whole lot of market push there (on South Ridgewood) right now. The income levels, the size of the lots, there are a lot of issues," said Wayne Clark, Port Orange's community development director. "It's step by step. If there were one simple answer, it would have been done." </p><p>Councilman Bob Ford called the Ridgewood Corridor Plan a first step. He said aggressive zoning is needed to eliminate what he and his colleagues describe as "seedy" motels, tattoo parlors and cut-rate used car lots. </p><p>"All the negative zoning in the city is down there. I think it's the only place that has tattoo parlors," he said. "If you go down there and look at the current zoning, you just get a headache. It looks like a throwaway area." </p><p>Ford recommended the city eventually buy some of those aging businesses "piece by piece," so more visually appealing upgrades could occur along the highway. </p><p>Councilman Don Burnette said he doesn't need a plan to know what's needed right now to turn the area around. </p><p>"We have a ton of seedy motels up and down the strip, and until we take care of those seedy motels no one will want to go in there. We have to address it," he said. "I think the No. 1 problem down there that we're going to have in making progress is addressing all those motels that were wonderful destinations 50 years ago, but aren't today." </p><p>Recent code enforcement "sweeps" have been made in the area by the fire and police departments. </p><p>"We need to continue that and maybe step it up," Burnette said. "We need to target the repeat offenders until they finally fall in line or go away, one way or the other." </p><p><b>'WHAT CAN WE PUT THERE?'</b> </p><p>Residents and business owners along the Ridgewood corridor welcome any change, even if initially it's only a plan. </p><p>"I am thrilled to see this. We need improvement from the top to the bottom. It is the gateway to the city, and our waterfront area of Port Orange," said Lynne Bramerel, a 30-year resident who lives in a neighborhood between the river and U.S. 1. "To see this falling into disrepair really breaks my heart driving past it every day. ... When I pick people up from out of state, I take Riverside Drive" to avoid the highway. </p><p>She added: "It's horrifying in the daylight. We never know who will be walking through our neighborhood. A couple of weeks ago, we had a child molester arrested who came in through the trailer park." </p><p>Newton White, another Port Orange resident, recommended a remove-and-build approach for the corridor with a distinct and consistent concept being adopted for what should follow. </p><p>"We can't keep refurbishing time after time. It looks horrible," he said. "This is the old part of the city. If we lose the motels and car lots, what do we want then? What do we want to bring here? What can we put there that will bring people to the region?" </p><p>Brendan Galbreath, the owner of Aunt Catfish Restaurant, is a 40-year-old Port Orange native who's doing more than talking about future plans for Ridgewood Avenue. </p><p>He recently bought a building near the corner of Ridgewood and Dunlawton, which will soon house a pizza restaurant. And Galbreath has other ideas for what he names Catfish Commons, maybe adding an ice cream shop and a kayak rental business. </p><p>"We're not distressed here on the waterfront," he said. </p><p>But Galbreath is pessimistic about major changes being made along the miles of highway south of his restaurant &mdash; where his grandmother in 1954 opened Marko's drive-in restaurant. That once-popular destination is long gone, like most of the other old mom-and-pop businesses on Ridgewood. </p><p>"I don't have a magic wand. Maybe office parks, but I don't think they'll get significant retail," he said, given the major commercial development to the west. "I don't want to be totally negative. The connection between U.S. 1 to the river could facilitate development. If there's any hope, I think that's what it is. The riverfront."</p><p><b>The road more traveled</b> </p><p>U.S. Route 1 runs 2,369 miles from Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, to Key West. At one time, the highway was also known as the Atlantic Highway. </p><p>In 1904, Ridgewood Avenue in Port Orange was constructed of shells and connected to what was then the city of Daytona. In 1915, the local road became part of the Dixie Highway. In 1927, as part of the newly created national route system, the name became U.S. 1. </p><p>In 1957, Ridgewood Avenue was widened to its current four lanes. Most of the current commercial development along the Ridgewood corridor &mdash; from Dunlawton Avenue south to the Rose Bay Bridge &mdash; took place between the 1950s and early 1970s.</p>